A recent Midland County Commissioners’ Court decision could cut down on times to clear buildings and reduce risk to responding officers in the event of future bomb threats.

A recent Midland County Commissioners’ Court decision could cut down on times to clear buildings and reduce risk to responding officers in the event of future bomb threats.

Photo: Eric Gay — The Associated Press

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U.S. Marshals block the road in front of the federal courthouse 11/30/17 morning after a bomb threat was called in. Tim Fischer/Reporter-Telegram

U.S. Marshals block the road in front of the federal courthouse 11/30/17 morning after a bomb threat was called in. Tim Fischer/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram

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Bomb dog could reduce time for clearing buildings

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Law enforcement officials on Thursday waited at the federal courthouse for a dog that could be used to detect bombs, according to Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter. A recent Midland County Commissioners’ Court decision could cut down on times to clear buildings and reduce risk to responding officers in the event of future bomb threats.

Painter said officials had done a cursory search of the George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush U.S. Courthouse and were bringing in a bomb dog from out of town after someone called in a threat Thursday morning.

District Attorney Laura A. Nodolf told the Reporter-Telegram last month the closest bomb dog was in Lubbock. She said the minimum response time for that dog is 3.5 hours.

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Commissioners last month approved a request from the District Attorney’s Office to purchase a bomb dog. The court also approved adding a felony investigator, who would serve as the dog’s handler.

After the vote, Nodolf said the plans would take effect in December. She could not immediately be reached on Thursday to confirm the timeline of obtaining the dog.

After a bomb threat was called into Nodolf’s office in September, the Midland County Courthouse was evacuated and closed to the public for the rest of the day. A bomb dog could have cleared the building in 1.5 hours and allowed people to return to their normal duties, according to Nodolf. She said a dog could be used in the event of a similar situation.

“Members of the unit as well as other personnel have to put themselves in potential of harm’s way to go in and visually clear the building,” Nodolf said last month. “The difference with a bomb dog is the fact that you can send in one handler and the dog to be able to clear a building.”